Huntsville behind Bearkats' run at I-AA title

Sam Houston gets noticedCommunity behind Bearkats' run at I-AA title

Published 6:30 am, Saturday, December 11, 2004

HUNTSVILLE - The relationship between the Huntsville community and the Sam Houston State football program traditionally has been strong.

But it has taken on the momentum of a freight train barreling through the tall pines as the Bearkats have made it to the NCAA Division I-AA semifinals for the first time in school history.

"I go back to being in college here in 1964 when we were co-champions for the (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) national title," Huntsville mayor pro tem Steed Smith said. "This is probably the most exciting thing that's happened in Huntsville, as far as football goes at Sam Houston, in many years."

The Bearkats (11-2) take on the Montana Grizzlies (11-2) this afternoon in Missoula, Mont. At stake is a trip to next Friday's NCAA Division I-AA championship game in Chattanooga, Tenn.

These two teams aren't strangers. In 2001, the Grizzlies knocked Sam Houston State out in the second round. In the third game this season, the Bearkats beat Montana 41-29 at Bowers Stadium.

Sam Houston is coming off a dramatic 35-34 victory at Eastern Washington.

"I was watching that game," Smith said. "As I was watching the last 48 seconds, them marching down the field, I grew up in Houston. I was a beginning Oilers fan when they played at Jeppesen Stadium (now Robertson Stadium).

"And I remember if you left the Oiler game and didn't watch the end of it, you were liable to miss (the most important part). George Blanda would march down with two minutes left and score three touchdowns.

"And really, that (final drive) reminded me of the George Blanda days in Houston."

It took awhile for coach Bearkats coach Ron Randleman to fully comprehend what his team had accomplished.

"You don't know when reality really sets in because you don't have time to think about that sort of thing," said Randleman, whose team rallied from a 34-14 deficit. "The way that game went, we were all kind of half-stunned on the sideline."

Randleman said it's obvious the community is behind the Bearkats.

"There's just been phone call after phone call from people here in town, former athletes and alums from here and there," he said. "Everybody's excited, and a lot of people say this has just been awfully good for the entire community. And I think it has."

As the Bearkats stacked up the victories, messages of encouragement began to pop up at local businesses.

"People are pretty excited around here," said Sue Slater, manager of Bearkat Books, a store near campus she has worked at since she was a Sam Houston student 22 years ago. "We just can't keep anything orange in the store. ... The last three weeks it's been really, really big. We're about to run out of playoff shirts for the second time."

Smith said if the team advances to the national championship game, the city will charter a plane to carry fans and supporters to Chattanooga.

"When they come back, they're getting ready to have final exams, and all the kids will go home (for the Christmas holidays)," Smith said. "But we'll probably have some sort of parade for them, win or lose in these last two games, and really celebrate it here, because this has been good for the city, good for the university."